The Last September

Lois and Livvy shop in Clonmore, the nearby town. When it starts to rain, they take shelter in the home of Mr. And Mrs. Fogarty. Mrs. Fogarty often hosts and cares for the British soldiers sent to the area, and her sitting room is adorned with photos of past regiments. The room is filled with young women and soldiers, and Mrs. Fogarty has several of the soldiers sing and play piano.

Lois says she and Livvy must get home, so they start the drive in Livvy’s trap. Along the way, they see Black and Tan soldiers coming down the road toward them. Black and Tans were (most often) unemployed World War I veterans recruited to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) to enforce law and order against the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on behalf of the British. They were often violent, and they did not behave as “well” as the British soldiers. To avoid them and their frequent habit of being “sarcastic” with those they passed, Livvy pulls the trap into a sheltered, out-of-view area until the men pass.

Livvy drops Lois at the gate of Danielstown, and Lois races down the avenue. She finds that Miss Marda Norton, the family’s newest guest, has arrived.